A.J. Cook

Cook was born in Oshawa, Ontario and spent most of her life growing up in Whitby. Her father, Mike, is a teacher and her mother, Sandra, is a sheriff and works for a psychiatrist. She has three siblings named Nathan, Paul and Angela. Cook is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As a devout Mormon, she accepts only roles that don't go against her faith. At four years of age, Cook began taking jazz, tap and ballet lessons. She danced competitively for many years before deciding at the age of 17 that she wanted to try acting.

Cook's first job was in a McDonald's commercial in 1997. She graduated to series works with a guest role on the television series Goosebumps, and parts in two television movies, In His Father's Shoes and Elvis Meets Nixon. Cook launched her feature film career as one of five captivating suicidal sisters in 1999's The Virgin Suicides. Also that year, she took a starring role in the TV series Higher Ground, in which Cook played Shelby Merrick – a rough around the edges teenage girl dealing with abuse and heartache at a wilderness school for struggling kids. Higher Ground lasted one season, ending with a romance between Shelby and Hayden Christensen's character, Scott.

After Higher Ground, Cook starred in the 2000 TV movie The Spiral Staircase, and then captured leading roles in several films, including Out Cold and Final Destination 2.

She currently stars as Jennifer "J.J." Jareau in the CBS drama Criminal Minds.

In September 2001, Cook married her long-time boyfriend Nathan Anderson, a pet shipping company owner, whom she met in a film class at Utah Valley State College (UVSC). She later moved to Salt Lake City, Utah to be with him and also currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

On March 21st, 2008, EW.com and celebrity-babies.com report that Cook and Anderson are expecting their first child, due in October.

A.J. Cook and her Higher Ground co-star Jewel Staite both guest-starred on the show "Dead Like Me."

Of all the Higher Ground cast members, [[Dude:Hayden Christensen|Hayden Christensen]] first told A.J. of his upcoming role as Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars films.

Kirsten Vangsness, Matthew G. Gubler and Shemar Moore are very good friends of her. Paget Brewster is her best friend on the Criminal Minds set.